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Post by bmwpowere36m3 on Sept 4, 2012 19:06:49 GMT -6
I was trying to do some calculations to verify the bike's trail and then workout the changes when I lower the bike. The factory specs are: - Rake Angle: 31.5 degrees
- Trail: 5.47 in
I measured: - Tire Diameter 25.75 in
- Triple Clamp Offset 0.71 in
- Rake Angle: ~31 degrees
When I plug these values into a couple of online calculators I end up with a trail of 7.06 in and NOT 5.47 in. I'm curious is the factory spec for trail is accurate? |
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Post by Jet⚡Black on Sept 5, 2012 1:05:51 GMT -6
The discrepancy might come from the amount of air in the shocks, how far the shocks come through the trees, tire inflation. If you are going off of Kawasaki's own measurements; someone may have goofed in the mm to inch conversion. I have a Honda manual that say's 1000km = 1200 miles when 1 km is 0.6 of a mile...1000Km = 621 miles. So human error could certainly explain the difference.
You might be better off measuring yourself and then calculating, that way you can trust the results.
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Post by bmwpowere36m3 on Sept 5, 2012 7:47:47 GMT -6
I agree, however those do not factor into the trail calculation... all you need is rake, tire diameter and triple clamp offset. I guess the specs could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time as you say.
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Post by eaglerider on Sept 5, 2012 8:48:43 GMT -6
Kawasaki has always tried to be as accurate as possible. Sometimes, getting absoluty, perfect, accruate measurements, down to the millimeter or 1/8th inch is almost impossible. Don't take but just a tiny "miss" in one spot to be considerably more off, 6 inches or a foot or more away from that spot.  And who is to say if their, or your measureing tool is absolutly perfect. Lots of factors have to be considered. O, on our parent website, in the left sidebar, there should still be a rake & trail article, with a rake and trail calculator, that could be a help. |
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Post by bmwpowere36m3 on Sept 5, 2012 11:32:50 GMT -6
I was looking to see if anyone else performed these measurements and got similar results for a stock 454 LTD. 5.5" of trail and 7" are not even close... it takes a significant change in any of the variables to affect trail in that magnitude. I was thinking maybe there's something with my bike.
Are the triple clamps raked on our bikes?
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Post by eaglerider on Sept 5, 2012 15:32:45 GMT -6
Not the stock ones. Did u check out the calculator, to double check the way u measured, on our parent website, that I mentioned??
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Post by bmwpowere36m3 on Sept 5, 2012 19:05:40 GMT -6
Yes, I checked with your calculator... though in it you need to put the rake angle referenced from horizontal and not vertical like most other calculators. Thus the rake angle from horizontal is 58.5 degrees. The resulting trail value is the same ~ 7".
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Post by eaglerider on Sept 5, 2012 22:08:52 GMT -6
Something just occured to me.....you might check your frame very carefully, and I stress the carefully, in the neck area, in case some previous owner has actually raked the neck just a little bit.
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Post by bmwpowere36m3 on Sept 6, 2012 7:04:59 GMT -6
Actually I think I figured it out... when I was taking the triple clamp offset into account I only measured the offset of the fork tubes from the head tube. However its the actual offset of the wheel axle from the head tube, which is actually closer to 2". With the new offset, the trail value is now around 5.5" I thought I was going crazy  |
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Post by eaglerider on Sept 6, 2012 8:43:14 GMT -6
Aha! Good job....sometimes the answer to the problem is right in front of us (you are not in the boat alone)....kinda like the old saying : not being able to see the forest because of the trees. Glad u figured it out .
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And who is to say if their, or your measureing tool is absolutly perfect. 